THE Tory government must ditch plans to give tariff-free access to Australian farmers in a post-Brexit deal that would be “catastrophic” for Scotland’s farmers, an SNP MP has said.

Ahead of a Cabinet trade meeting today, the party urged the Tories against “ploughing ahead with its blatant betrayal” of Scotland’s farmers.

The UK Government is reportedly split over whether to grant zero-tariff access to Australian farmers, but according to The Times Boris Johnson is leaning towards supporting the proposals. It is understood that Michael Gove and Environment Secretary George Eustice do not agree.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with Australia will 'force Scots farmers off land'

The National Farmers Union Scotland president, Martin Kennedy, has said his sector would feel “seriously betrayed” if the deal goes ahead as touted.

NFU president Minette Batters added that removing tariffs “would make life unbearable for small British family farms”.

The SNP’s shadow Defra spokesperson, Deidre Brock, said: "The Tory government's post-Brexit plans have been one betrayal after another. With our fishing sector still suffering from the impact of Brexit, Boris Johnson is intent on going further by now selling out our farmers and crofters.

The National:

"Reported plans to grant tariff-free access to Australian farmers would have disastrous consequences for our farmers - with many being pushed out of business altogether.

“Rather than ploughing ahead with their blatant betrayal of Scotland's farming and crofting communities, they must ditch these proposals."

READ MORE: Jim Fairlie: Post-Brexit Australian trade deal threatens Scottish farms

Yesterday the Prime Minister brushed off a question from SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford on the matter. He refused to recognise the damage the farming communities believe the deal would have on their livelihoods.

As Blackford mentioned he is a member of the crofting community, Johnson couldn’t resist taking a pop in his reply, which led to laughter from the Tory benches.

He said: “Mr Speaker I know that the right honourable gentleman – I’d like to see shots of his croft by the way, humble representative of the crofting community.

"May I say that I don’t think that he does justice to crofters, to farmers across the country and in Scotland as well Mr Speaker because I think he grossly underestimates their ability to do great things with our free trade deals, to export Scottish beef around the world.

“Mr Speaker, why doesn’t he believe in what the people of Scotland can do Mr Speaker? Why is he so frightened of free trade? I think it's a massive opportunity for Scotland and for the whole of the UK and he should seize it and be proud of it.”